The World is Our Stage
by Mischievass
Summary: *** SEQUEL TO 'We Are All Performers' *** Taking place after the events of Avengers: Infinity War. Ciara lives as an operative for what remains of the once mighty SHIELD, fighting an endless war against the people affected by the snap - as well as a war against her own demons. When certain characters from her past turn up alive amidst the chaos, lives are put at stake once again.
1. No More Resurrections

**We're back! As the summary says, this is going to be taking place after the events of Infinity War (so also The Dark World, Ragnarok, all that). As always I own no part of Marvel's storylines, characters, or concepts. Rights remain reserved completely to Marvel and its affiliates.**

**Enjoy (:**

_When you put on a performance for so long that you become your character, is it considered method acting?_

Ciara's legs dangled over the edge, and she watched as the world passed by her below. The treetops jutt out among each other at varying heights but somehow still came together to make a cohesive piece of rich green. The moonlight illuminated the mountainous landscape, and enhanced vision allowed her to enjoy all the small details the scenery had to offer.

The sound of the helicopter was drowned out by the sound of the music blaring through her earbuds, and she unhooked a cleverly concealed flask from her belt to take a generous swig.

A tap on her shoulder shook her from enjoying the view, and she removed her earbuds so she could put her actual earpiece back in.

_Coming over the zone in two, Agent Volkov, do you copy?_

_I copy. Geared for jump._

_Copy._

Ciara brought herself back to standing and tucked the earbuds into the neck of her uniform, giving her head a quick shake to jolt herself back to awareness of her surroundings.

The helicopter flew through the night with almost complete silence, the blades moving through the air sounding more like deep bass beats than anything. She occupied the passenger/cargo space with one other agent, and the one pilot in the cabin was assisted in flying by AI.

_Agent Volkov, you are clear for departure._

_Copy. See you in twenty._

Ciara took two steps and leaped off the edge, out into the open air, outstretching her arms of the partial squirrel suit she wore to start directing herself towards the LZ.

Falling from the sky had never really been something she had done frequently - just occasionally. At least not since the incident before the big incident. The big incident being the snap that rid the world of half of its population in an instant. The _before_ incident was more of a personal occurrence, pushed deep into the realms of Ciara's mind and buried by the life she now lived.

She was (what was left of) SHIELD's go-to operative against the private militia groups that had begun assembling and popping up internationally in the wake of the snap that had happened two years ago. Groups that believed the snap was SHIELD's fault - despite them having lost the majority of their leadership in the occurrence - for not stopping the mad Titan before their loved ones were ripped from their grasps.

Something about the new affinity she had for chaos somehow made her a good fit for the job of getting rid of these militias.

But then, perhaps it wasn't the chaotic nature of these types of missions that made Ciara most often the one to be sent to carry them out. Maybe it was her ability to keep the records clean. To carry out the missions in the quietest way possible, with the least fatalities.

See, SHIELD understood that these groups certainly weren't all hardened criminals looking for someone to point the finger at and make some money for it. A lot of them were composed of fathers, brothers, sisters, and mothers who had lost someone very close to them, and needed vengeance for their loved ones.

Where Ciara came in, was with her ability to decimate without resorting to deadly force. She had spent the years following her incident training, and beginning to work with the serum, as opposed to against it. She had learned to harness her newfound aggression and channel it into complete control of her abilities. She knew where to land blows, when, how hard. She could analyze target weak points with unmistakable precision. SHIELD's science experiment had been very successful - for the most part.

But in that time of self-mastery, Ciara had alienated almost all of those around her.

It all began as a performance. To show SHIELD that she was okay, unaffected, and more ready than ever to commit to her work. But when it grew into a zombie-like state of indifference to what had happened - and when indifference was lacking, blatant abuse of distraction techniques - Ciara lost a part of herself. It was a life of symptoms and masking symptoms. But she didn't grieve, and she was enjoying every moment of her life. Because life was fleeting anyways. That she had learned the hard way.

The way the world grew bigger and bigger as she essentially free-fell was exhilarating. She arched and shifted in order to direct herself towards her target, adrenaline coursing as the landing neared and neared until the ground was right beneath her.

Ciara dropped into a roll over shoulder to break the fall but not be encumbered by the rifle on her back, then rose to one knee and hit the button to retract the wings. She pulled her rifle off of her back and surveyed the area through the scope. When she confirmed with herself it was clear, she made for the treeline.

_I'm on the ground. _

_Copy._

Ciara removed the wings and stuffed them in a hole created by a pile of roots, for safe storage.

_En route to location. Two minutes out._

_Copy._

/

**TWO YEARS EARLIER**

His footfalls on the street were silent. Not that it mattered, because the world was alive with the sounds of chaos.

A doorway on the building to his left burst open, and with it two brawling figures shouting obscenities at each other while they struggled. Loki sidestepped the group and continued walking, pulling his hood down even more so, the rich black of his cloak gliding across the filth-ridden alley ground.

He was coming up on his location. A short distance away another doorway was pressed into the stone of a structure, with no labeling or signage indicating what it might be, save for the scribbled drawing of a lone eye just above the door itself. Whatever it had been drawn with seemed to glow an eerie green, making it just discernible enough for any who knew what they were looking for to seek it out.

Loki arrived at the door and lifted a gloved hand to knock out the specific code required for entry.

It took less than a couple seconds before there was an answer, and the door swung open to reveal nothing but darkness. Loki stepped inside, shutting the door behind him before he pulled back his hood to reveal his face.

"Back so soon, Laufeyson?" The voice that came from the dark was that of a woman, sultry and inviting.

Loki had not been on Knowhere for very long. In fact, he had arrived just days ago on a scrapper ship, after the Asgardian ship was obliterated by Thanos and his disciples.

And Loki had been 'killed' by the mad Titan.

_No resurrections this time._

Thanos' words echoed in his mind over and over when he was floating in space. The spell he used was similar to that of the one he had used on the world of the Dark Elves, in order to make Thor believe that he was dead. It was a complicated spell, incredibly risky, and dangerous, but Loki was masterful and his time in the world of the living was not quite complete enough yet.

"I am not here for idle chat, Karnilla." Loki said gruffly, and the room became alight with the glow of candles.

Karnilla sat in a chair directly before him, her raven hair flowing in wild tresses, her purple robes richly coloured in stark contrast to the paleness of her skin.

"Sit." She said, smirking.

Loki narrowed his eyes but did as told, pulling up the stool opposite to her, over the small table that was the only furniture to occupy the room.

"Who is it you wish to see today?" She asked, twirling a strand of hair between long, nimble fingers. "The girl, or the thunder god?"

"The girl." Loki replied.

Karnilla grinned and leaned forward, drawing her fingers across a large black orb on the table between them, her eyes shut in concentration.

"Oh…" She said, her brows furrowing. "Something is wrong." She said, and her eyes shot open.

"Speak, Karnilla." Loki pressed, withholding the urge he felt to show his distress.

"I…" She lifted her hand from the globe and held it directly in front of her face. Her fingertips began to grow faded, and the wind seemed to carry them off. "What is this?" She shook her hand, but the disintegrating continued, consuming her hand.

Loki shot up from his seat and reached forward to grab her arm and shake her into giving him the answers he so deeply craved. Her arm disappeared to his touch.

"What are you doing?" He growled.

"This-" Her face faded, carried away by the draft, until she was entirely no more.

With wide eyes Loki scanned the room, his daggers materializing in hand. Karnilla was the one connection that he had - one with _the sight _that allowed him to see her, to see Thor, to see anything outside of the wretched mining planet. And the sorceress had just disappeared before his very eyes.

Loki spun on his heel and burst back through the door into the alley, frantically looking left and right. Clouds of dust seemed to lift into the sky. The two brawlers from earlier had been reduced to one very confused looking creature.

"Thanos." Loki said the name under his breath and began quickly walking down the alley, towards the open street.

On the street the same thing appeared to be happening. Creatures disappeared left and right, reduced to piles of ash, carried away by the wind and leaving their companions distraught and panicking.

_Ciara. Thor._

Loki's chest tightened and he prowled forward, towards the docking stations that held all of the ships of those who frequently left and entered the lost world of Knowhere.

As he approached he caught sight of the Captain of the very ship he had come to the planet on. He roughly grabbed the creature by the shoulder and shook him as he spoke.

"I must go to Midgard." Loki shouted, and the Captain stared back at him through wide eyes. "You imbecile do you not hear me?!"

The Captain dematerialized in Loki's very hands.

Loki clenched his jaw and moved towards the steps leading up to the scrapper ship, navigating it until he found himself in the empty cockpit.

For days he had been keeping an eye on them - Ciara and Thor - with the aid of Karnilla, the sorceress with the gift of _the sight_. He had watched as Ciara acted in the only way she seemed to know anymore, a person not unlike the woman that he remembered, but different in so many ways. Harsher. Loki had even watched as Thor was reunited with his team, to fight against the mad Titan.

But Thanos had succeeded, something Loki never thought to be possible.

And now Ciara's life was just a question mark. And Thor's, and everyone he had ever come to know.

Loki poured over the controls of the ship, trying to make sense of them in haste. The ship would require more than just him to fly, that much was certain.

_I need a crew._

Loki straightened up and looked back towards the way he had come from.

_I need a crew._

/

**TWO YEARS LATER**

Ciara moved through the house, her rifle on her back, daggers in either hand. She stayed pressed to the wall as she turned a corner.

Based on intel, the house was occupied by six group members, considered armed and dangerous. She had already encountered four, and dismantled four.

She pressed herself up against the wood next to a door frame and listened intently for voices within.

"Tomorrow-"

_Perfect._

Ciara took one more breath before she turned through the doorway and caught sight of her targets, standing by one of the floor length windows that peered out over the valley below.

She sprinted forwards and dropped into a roll as her presence was known. Coming up on one knee and slashing at the legs of one, she shot up and brought down the hilt of another on the face of her assailant. As he dropped, she raised the knee of her bionic leg and cracked it on the nose of the one whose legs she had gashed.

The two who had occupied the room lay on the ground, limbs splayed out and rifles still attached by straps thrown over their shoulders. Ciara unclipped the cuffs from her chest and restrained each of the men, grabbing a handhold on their arms and dragging them back to the living room where the rest of the militia members lay in similar fashion.

She dropped them off with the others and then began out the back door.

_Jackpot. Targets ready for pickup._

_Copy, Volkov. Five minutes out._

Ciara walked through the backyard and back into the trees that surrounded the little mountainside house. The mission had been one deemed high risk, and now completed, Ciara walked away with only one fatality out of a potential six.

A thud resounded to a tree trunk to her left, and Ciara's head snapped towards it, and the blade that had impaled the wood just inches from her face. The black hilt was nearly invisible in the darkness, save for the gold detailing that ran through it.

Ciara ducked behind a tree to her right and unholstered her handgun from her thigh, cocking it back before she leaned out from behind the tree.

Her pistol was immediately met with contact and knocked from her hands. She recovered herself and swung left, meeting the forearm of her assailant.

The face that looked back at her was covered from the nose down with some kind of black cloth, a hood pulled up to just barely conceal the grey eyes that peered back at her. Ciara reared back with her bionic leg and let loose a kick, which was caught by the attacker and thrown back at her. She stumbled before regaining her footing and pulling her daggers from their sheaths.

_Hold on the landing. There's another one. _She said into her earpiece, before charging forwards and meeting blades with the one who opposed her.

They deflected each others strikes, slashing and jabbing and looking for weak points, both coming up without any success.

It seemed the hand-to-hand went on for minutes before the assailant gained the advantage and Ciara felt the cold metal on her throat, and her back against the trunk of a tree.

She breathed through clenched teeth and glared into the eyes of the attacker.

"Who are you?" Ciara said.

The eyes of the assailant narrowed. The blade stayed on her throat as they raised their other hand to the mask, pulling it down to reveal their face.

Ciara felt the colour as it drained from her face. She felt the blade as the pressure was released from her skin. Her insides twisted and a wave of nausea came over her.

"Hello to you too, love."


	2. Welcome to Hell

**Hopefully Chapter One set a good stage for everyone to begin from. I had a couple ideas with how I wanted our beloved characters to be coping with the events of last story (not just the snap) - especially Ciara, and how she would react to seeing Loki again. Maybe a little bit of an expected response, maybe a little bit unexpected.**

**Enjoyyyy (:**

"You're dead."

Ciara pulled her rifle over her shoulder and aimed down the scope, directly at the figure who stood in front of her. He raised his hands slowly, dropping the daggers that they were holding.

"I see you have been busy." Loki said, calmly.

_Agent Volkov, what's going on? _The voice in the earpiece was incessant, and Ciara supported the rifle in one hand while she ripped the device out with the other.

"Who are you?" Ciara demanded.

Loki slowly brought his hands together, pulling the glove off of one in controlled movements. Once it was removed, he offered his hand to Ciara.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"You know what I am doing." Loki replied, taking a small step towards her and extending his hand out further while the other remained in the air.

Ciara hesitated before she moved, slinging the rifle back over her shoulder and stepping forward to meet him. She lifted a cautious hand towards his, hovering it just above his without touching the skin. She could feel the cold emanating just from the short distance between them.

Ciara let her palm drop into his and was met with the feeling like cold marble, smooth and icy against her warm skin. She retracted her hand quickly and her eyes searched his face, looking for any indication of an answer to the thousands and thousands of questions she had.

"I don't believe this." She said, stepping back again.

"You do not or you will not?" Loki asked, cocking his head and closing the distance between them in one stride. "Ciara, allow me to explain."

"Explain to me why you're not dead?" Ciara exclaimed, her breathing growing harsh. "It's been years, and you think I'm going to believe that you're just… _Showing up_, now?" She shook her head. "There's no way."

"If there was any way, did you not think that I would find it?" Loki said. He dropped his hands to his sides. "I assure you darling, I am completely real."

"Don't call me that." Ciara said.

"And why should I not?" Loki straightened up. "Your name is Ciara Volkov. Not born to America but moved here for your occupation, which was previously 'Acrobat', if I remember correctly." He tipped his head and tread towards her again. "Stop me if you wish to."

Ciara was frowning, but her expression was painted with confusion and shock. She didn't bother to hide the effect his words had on her.

"Loki?" She asked.

A smile surfaced on his features, not showing teeth but clearly pleased. "In the flesh, darling."

"You're supposed to be dead."

"Yes, you said that."

"Why aren't you?"

Loki licked his lips and let out a small chuckle. "Would it be an inopportune time to say magic?"

"Oh. My god."

"That's flattering." He said.

Ciara reached out and laid a hand on his arm, the leather of the black armour familiar feeling under her fingertips. She looked up to him and her expression was softened.

"It's really you." She said, and suddenly her brows furrowed and she pushed him roughly with both hands. Loki stumbled back. "Where the _fuck _HAVE YOU BEEN?"

Loki frowned and regained his footing. "Dead, presumably."

"How did you get here? How did you find me?" She asked, advancing on him. Loki raised a hand with one finger held up and Ciara halted.

"Maybe we can talk without violence, love." He said, eyebrows raised.

Ciara swallowed and looked him over, then turned her back to him and lifted her earpiece.

_This is Volkov. Targets are at the destination for pickup, I'm walking home._

_Copy, Agent Volkov. _

Ciara turned back to face Loki.

"Alright. Talk."

/

"I don't understand… Thanos let you live?" Ciara said.

They walked through the forest side-by-side, in no rush at all. Loki had been patient in explaining the events of the past years, albeit refraining from being too detailed for the sake of Ciara's mental health.

"Not exactly. Not knowingly, at least." Loki replied.

"And you came here from _Nowhere?_"

"No, _Know_here. Not _Nowhere."_

"Right. But that doesn't explain how you found me."

"I had been… Keeping an eye on you. Believe me, it was not easy. You have become quite the secret agent."

Ciara stopped in her tracks and Loki did the same.

"Why didn't you come sooner?" Ciara asked, biting her lip to keep her face from contorting. The emotional rollercoaster that was Loki's appearance and stories to tell were beginning to break through the facade.

"Ciara-"

"No, no. I just. I didn't know. I haven't seen Thor since he went back to Asgard." Ciara frowned and shook her head. "I thought Odin had you executed."

Loki pressed his lips together in a firm line and looked away from her momentarily.

"Yes, well, I suppose he had a change of heart." He said, then continued. "Forgive me, Ciara, I thought you would be a little bit more… Pleased, to see me."

"Pleased." Ciara said abruptly, huffing and taking a seat on the ground, leaning back against a tree trunk. She stared to the side for a while, seeming to contemplate what the correct words were for what she was trying to express. "Things have changed here. Everything's changed. So have I." She shook her head and returned her gaze to him. "I didn't think I would ever see you again."

Loki took a seat on the ground next to her, leaning against the same tree.

"And I you, love. I am sorry I could not come sooner." He said.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Ciara said, shaking her head and turning it so she could meet his eyes with hers. "I just… Didn't know. I don't know." She unclipped the flask from her belt and took a sip, looking forward once again.

Loki's eyes darted between the flask and Ciara, and it almost pained him to watch. The way she was acting differed from what he remembered but was consistent with what Karnilla had showed him. Her eyes were more distant, her features hardened, her silver hair pulled back tightly into a misshapen braid. The way she had met him with anger and defensiveness in place of joy. It hurt him, the way she had changed to cope with either his supposed death or the snap itself - he wasn't sure which it was - but he also understood it. Ciara did not deal well with pain not of the physical, so she had chosen to mask that pain with something else entirely.

"I missed you for a while." She said, going back for another sip before she reclipped the drink to her belt. "I really did."

"And after that while?" Loki asked, resting his elbows on his knees and tilting his head to look at her. She wouldn't return his look.

Ciara looked down towards her lap, clenching and unclenching fists. "I got better." She shook her head and shrugged. "At everything that I could get better at."

"But not the things that you could not." Loki said.

Ciara nodded slowly, her eyes then fixed on the ground before her but not in complete focus. "Something like that." She said, unclipping her flask again and taking a swig. "World's gone to shit anyways."

Loki was deeply disturbed by how nonchalant she seemed to be acting in regards to his reappearance. He couldn't tell whether or not it was a show, something she was putting on to hide how she truly felt - or if this character was what Ciara had truly become. There was a harsh line struck right between the two options, and on one side Loki felt pained. On the other, concern.

"Ciara, you will not even look at me." Loki finally said, after minutes of silence.

"I don't have the words, Loki." She replied, raising to her feet and turning to face him. "I thought you were gone, and I made peace with that."

Loki stood up and tilted his head. "Did you?"

Ciara took deep breaths and they locked eyes.

"I know you, Ciara. It is not in you to do this. You care but for some reason, you will not show it."

"I need to get back to base." She said. "You're more than welcome to tag along."

/

Her new residence was nestled in the heart of Los Angeles, a couple of miles from the bunker where SHIELD operated from.

Vacant homes occupied the space of half of the city, and the one which she took up was a massive property, complete with multiple levels of living space and everything she could possibly desire.

Ciara unlocked the front door and entered the empty abode, first retiring to her room to switch out of her mission kit and into civilian clothes. She did so methodically, quickly, acting completely on muscle memory as her mind was occupied with other matters.

Just one matter in particular stood out, as nothing compared to the magnitude of it.

_Loki is alive._

Her initial reaction had been mistrust, followed by anger, doubt, fear, realization, and then her very familiar friend apathy had come to the rescue to shield her from all of the things that she felt.

There had been a moment of elation. When she first touched his hand, then his armour, and truly knew that he was real. In that moment Ciara had forcefully stilled herself in order to refrain from launching herself into his open arms, and feeling all of the joyful relief that she thought would never come.

But Ciara had spent years putting all of that longing aside in favor of self-preservation. And Loki had just shown up without any inkling of a warning and nearly torn those walls down in an instant.

She moved from her room, down into the kitchen, and retrieved a bottle from a cupboard. Hopping up onto the marble island that was the centerpiece of the room, Ciara uncorked it and began drowning what she felt before the heat could well up in her eyes and begin to undo her.

There was no room left for tears.

Ciara had left him in the middle of the San Gabriel mountains and completed the remainder of the trek back to base alone. It was long, but she favored the solitude over the amount of effort it took for her to keep it together in his presence. Ciara could tell from the look on his face and the way he had acted that he was stunned by her reaction to him, and she felt similarly.

She had lost the team, and very rarely kept in contact with any of them - and by any of them, she meant Natasha, the sole ex-SHIELD-agent who dedicated her time to keeping the Avengers united. But she was not an Avenger and never had been. It was a futile effort from Natasha, but they spoke at least once every couple of weeks.

With Clint gone AWOL, half the team taken by the snap, Tony retired to the family life, Thor completely unheard from... Natasha had her work cut out for her, and Steve was rarely around to assist. Banner was also a completely different person from what she remembered, based on what Ciara could see from News outlets.

"I know you're here." Ciara said, setting down her bottle but not leaving her seat on the counter.

"You're getting better." The male voice came from the shadows, and out walked it's owner. "Hey kid." He said.

"What are you doing here?" Ciara asked. "Thought you were somewhere out East."

Clint approached, snatching the bottle from the counter and leaning against the fridge while he indulged. "Was." He said. "Not anymore."

"Clearly." Ciara said. She extended her arm towards him, and he placed the bottle in her outstretched hand. "So, any reason for the visit?"

"Just checking in." Clint said, crossing his arms.

Ciara held up both her hands and gestured around. "Join the party."

"I know he's back, Ciara." Clint said, and Ciara dropped her hands. Her expression steeled and she set the bottle down on the counter before hopping off and making her way towards the balcony. Clint's footfalls behind her were quick to catch up, and he pressed his hand against the glass of the door before she could open it.

"Ciara." He said.

The muscles of Ciara's jaw tensed and she glared at him. "Move your hand, Clint."

"We need to talk about this."

Ciara snorted and smirked. "Is that all you think we need to talk about, _Ronin_? You've been making quite a name for yourself too."

Clint didn't waver or even flinch at her words. "Don't act like this Ciara."

"Act like what?" She said, reaching for the door and pulling it open as Clint dropped his hand.

He followed her out onto the balcony. "Like this doesn't affect you whatsoever."

Ciara took a seat on the edge of the balcony, allowing her legs to dangle over the ground below.

"It doesn't." She said.

"Alright, this whole cold-hearted SHIELD supersoldier thing might work on everyone else. But we both know that's bullshit. So fucking cut it, and talk to me."

"I don't know what you want me to say, Clint."

"You can start with the truth."

Ciara pursed her lips and dropped her chin to her chest, the light buzz she was sporting proving to not be quite enough to field the kind of questions Clint was hitting her with.

"I don't know how I feel about him being back." She said.

Clint hopped up on the ledge next to her and mimicked her seated position. "Try harder then."

"Clint-"

"Ciara."

"Fuck, I don't know. I don't. Am I happy he's alive? Sure. But that all happened a long time ago, things have changed."

"Some things don't change."

"You're insinuating that I still have feelings for him." Ciara pressed her tongue into her cheek and looked up at the darkened sky. "I don't see how this matters to you anyways. You've never cared for him."

"You're right, and I don't. Not unless he becomes a threat." Clint said. "But I do care about you. And you're going to drive yourself into the ground if you keep this up."

"Ironic you should be saying that."

"This isn't about me, Ciara." Clint said, his voice slightly raised.

"I disagree." Ciara turned her head to look at him. "I think this is about you trying to wipe your dirty fucking conscience, and I'm the perfect opportunity for the that."

Clint chuckled and looked down at his lap before he met her gaze. "That won't work with me Ciara. People exist who still care about you, and they're not going to be here forever if you keep pushing them away." He swung his legs over and stepped down onto the balcony. "I'll see you around, kid."

Ciara waited until she heard the door shut behind her to draw her knees to her chest, feet resting on the ledge, and drop her face to her hands. She rubbed her temples as if that might help her get some clarity, and rid her head of the throbbing ache that was building.

"I thought I made it clear I was done talking." Ciara grumbled, the sound of the door opening and shutting behind her alerting her of a visitor.

"I can leave if you would prefer it."

Her head shot up at the sound of the voice. The teasing tone, the smooth accent.

"Did you follow me?" Ciara asked.

"Something along those lines."

Ciara swiveled on the spot and hopped down off the barrier. Loki stood, looking exactly as she remembered he had during their time at the New York Headquarters together. His shirt was white, with black pants and the short, cropped hair styled in a messy but somehow purposeful way. The sight of him took her breath away, and she tensed up immediately.

"Hey." She said.

Loki approached slowly, not stopping until the distance was closed and his hands were lifted to her face. When she made no move to stop him, he lowered down and used his thumb to tilt her chin upwards until their lips met. Ciara's hands moved to his hips and rested against the soft material. His body felt stable beneath her palms, his lips soft and inviting as he drew his head back away from hers.

_What am I doing?_

_Stop what you're doing._

The voice in her head was insistent. But she disregarded its advice in favour of him.

"Is this alright?" He said, his voice beneath his breath.

Ciara nodded, and for the first time in years, she allowed her guard to drop.

/

"That's new." Ciara said, brushing her fingers over a nearly unnoticeable scar on Loki's abdomen. The light pink disturbance in the skin might have passed under other eyes, but she was deeply in tune with the small details of things. Especially when they involved Loki.

"Yes." Loki replied, absentmindedly toying with her hair. His arm was wrapped around Ciara's back and shoulders, her head and body nestled closely to his side. "A dark elf." He said.

"An… elf?" Ciara asked, and a sharp laugh escaped her lips, which she covered with one hand. "I'm sorry I just- An _elf_." She giggled again, and Loki couldn't help but grin at the sight of her smile. It was, after all, something that he had craved the sight of for years.

And after their first encounter earlier that night, he wasn't certain he would see it again.

"I think perhaps you should hold off a bit on your Californian… Medicine."

Ciara rolled her eyes, and shrugged. "It seems to be one of the only things this serum doesn't affect my tolerance of."

"And what other things would you be referring to?"

Ciara pushed herself up from his side and gave him a pointed look, as if to say _You know. Other things. _Before she started pulling her clothes off of the floor of the bedroom and redressing.

"Where are you going?" Loki asked, sitting up and leaning against the headboard.

"To get some air." Ciara said, then stepped out through the sliding doors, onto the balcony. Loki watched as she pulled a cigarette from a pack on a table outside, and lit it before bringing it to her lips. He stood up and pulled his pants on before he joined her.

"I have heard those things will kill you." Loki said.

Ciara took the cigarette from her lip and examined it, frowning, before taking another drag. "No such luck yet."

"Interesting perspective." Loki said, leaning against the barrier at the edge of the balcony. "Where is the rest of your team?"

Ciara joined him, tossing one leg over the ledge to straddle it, and taking a seat. "I thought you said you've been keeping an eye on me."

"Just for the past couple of days." He said.

"Well," Ciara tapped the butt of the cigarette and watched the ashes float down to the backyard below. "I'm pretty far removed from the Avengers these days. Just trying to keep what's left of SHIELD alive."

"So why was Agent Barton here earlier?"

"Just stopping by, as far as I could tell." Ciara replied. She flicked her cigarette towards the ashtray on the table, missing by a wide berth. "He knows you're back."

"Your doing?" Loki asked.

Ciara shook her head. "No, I'm not sure how he found out."

"And Thor?"

"I haven't heard from him." Ciara said, then added. "I'm sure he's fine."

"You are rather far removed, aren't you?" Loki said, picking up the pack of cigarettes from the table and placing one in his lip. Ciara lit it for him and nodded.

"Things kind of fell apart after the snap." She said.

Loki raised his eyebrows. "Are you in contact with _any_ of your previous allies?"

"Natasha, once in a while. She's still in New York at the Avengers base." Ciara looked out into the distance, at the homes that dotted the landscape. Many had lights on and music could even be heard. But for every one that teemed with life, another remained dark. "I missed you, Loki."

"And I you, love." Loki replied, quietly smug - if not relieved - by the sound of the words leaving her mouth.

"We can go to New York tomorrow, if you want." She said, bringing her attention back to him. "Try to find out where Thor is. If anyone knows, it'll be Nat."

"Yes, maybe. But for tonight, we do not need to worry about my brother." Loki replied.

Ciara grinned, prompting a perplexed look from Loki.

"What?" He said.

"You care about your brother again." She replied.

Loki snorted and smirked. "Yes, well, we have been busy since you and I last saw each other, if you will remember my telling you earlier."

"Saving the people of Asgard from your evil older sister. Right."

/

The hangar was occupied by a couple of smaller charter-style planes, as well as two private jets. Ciara walked through slowly, holding the receipt she had been given by the woman operating the front office. It had only taken a little bit of sweet talk, a badge flash, and a phone call to the acting director of SHIELD in order to get permission to take one of the jets. Since SHIELD resources were so limited and devoted to the 'good fight', this was their only option, and they had just barely been able to make it happen. The Los Angeles airport itself was generally a mess that Ciara worked very hard to avoid; and Loki didn't exactly carry a passport.

"This is us." She said, stopping in front of one of the jets.

"You know how to pilot this?" Loki asked, looking more than a little unimpressed.

"I do." She said. "And you're going to be my co-pilot."

"What could go wrong?" Loki said, the sarcasm in his tone evident.

Ciara grinned and started up the steps, walking through the small cabin and past the leather seats meant for its passengers. The cockpit itself was consistent with what she remembered from her flight training with SHIELD ages ago.

Loki joined her after a few minutes of examining the rest of the interior of the plane. She couldn't tell if he looked wary or excited by the time he took his seat next to her.

"Your technology is far more complicated than need be." He quipped, surveying the controls with a scrutinizing eye.

"Is it?" Ciara responded, more involved with pouring over the screens and familiarizing herself with the locations of the more important ones than concerned with Loki's inspection. "I think we're good to go."

"You think?"

She couldn't wipe the grin from her face as she retracted the ramp, and began starting up the aircraft. She glanced at Loki sidelong and gave a quick dip of her head.

"Seatbelt, please."

/

The landing was a smooth one, and Ciara was immensely grateful to her past self for paying attention during flight school with SHIELD.

They set down on the lawn of the Avengers base with a couple small bumps, but otherwise the duration of the flight had been without turbulence, and Loki had either slept or perused the cabin for the majority of it.

Ciara rose from her seat and set her headset back down on the seat. Loki followed suit, then tailed her as they headed back to the cabin and down the extended ramp.

She had chosen to dress reasonably nice for the trip, for the sole purpose of appearances. What ended up happening was a bit of Los Angeles style spill-over. This constituted of a black windbreaker over a plain black t-shirt, with distressed jeans, and chelsea boots. Her hair was pulled back into a braid, purely for the reason that she couldn't be bothered to switch it up.

It was the first time she would be seeing any of her old colleagues in person in over a year, save for Clint's surprise visit.

"This is unexpected." Natasha said, standing on the lawn as Ciara approached. Ciara glanced back over her shoulder and then back to Natasha, watching as her eyes narrowed at the sight of Loki. "You're kidding." She said.

Ciara shook her head as Loki joined them. "Not in the slightest." She said.

"Agent Romanoff. Good to see you again." Loki said, taking his place next to Ciara.

"Who else knows?" Natasha said, looking directly at Ciara.

"You, me, Clint." Ciara replied, debating whether or not she should tack Clint's name on to the list before she spoke. Since she was so out of the loop, she wasn't sure how to approach the Clint situation or even speak on it, but she knew how involved Natasha was with it. "He came by yesterday." She added.

"We can talk more inside. Steve is here." Natasha said, and began leading them towards the building. "You guys hungry?"

"We're good." Ciara said.

The trio entered and were met with absolute emptiness. Natasha led them down a series of hallways, into what seemed like some kind of makeshift office/study area. A couple of empty plates were stacked up on the desk, and Steve sat at a table, coffee in hand, deeply interested in a stack of newspapers spread out on the surface before him.

"Figured out who our guests are." Natasha said, walking directly to the desk and taking a seat in the wheeled chair.

Steve's head perked up and he immediately stood, seemingly debating if he should be looking at Ciara or Loki as they entered the room.

"Hey Cap." Ciara said.

"Long time no see." He answered, and then his gaze shot to Loki. "Could say the same to you."

"It seems there is a lot of that going on lately." Loki said, then added. "Nonetheless, likewise."

"Shouldn't you be in California?" Cap asked, taking his seat again as Ciara pulled out a chair on the opposite end of the table.

"It's more of an on-call arrangement." Ciara replied. "I see you guys have your hands full over here." She said, looking at the newspapers on the table.

"Not exactly what I would call it." Natasha said, leaning back in her chair, her eyes following Loki as he took a seat to Ciara's right. "When did you get in? I don't remember Ciara mentioning it during our last check-in."

"A couple of months ago. I had some business to attend to on my way here." Loki said, then looked at Ciara. "She was not particularly easy to find either."

"Yeah, that's a general consensus." Natasha said, taking a sip of a glass of water.

"Can I speak to you alone for a sec, Nat?" Ciara said. There was silence before anyone spoke, and it was Steve that did.

"I can show Loki around." He said.

"Thanks Cap." Ciara said, offering a grateful smile as Steve and Loki left down the hall they had come in from.

"So." Natasha said, leaning forward so both her elbows rested on the desk. "What's up?"

Ciara took a deep breath, tapping her fingers on the table in a rhythm as she weighed her options. She had given plenty of thought to how she wanted to approach things - the flight had been just her in her own head, for the most part - and she knew that once she spoke, there was no taking back her words.

Finally deciding on how to phrase things, Ciara decided to be outright.

"I want to come back, if you'll have me."


	3. The Goddess of Retribution

**Little bit of a shorter chapter, but with the introduction of a really big plot point. Thank you so much for continuing on in this story with me! The first one was a hell of a lot of fun to write, and I honestly can't wait to keep writing this. The MCU timeline has so many amazing stories to try to integrate, and I really hope you guys enjoy the read!**

**Don't forget to leave a review if you have the time. It means a ton to me to read your feedback, suggestions, whatever you feel! (:**

**ONE MONTH LATER**

Ciara stood on the rooftop of the Avengers base, mug in hand, Loki a couple of steps to her left standing in similar fashion. The sun had not risen yet, and a heavy layer of morning frost coated the lawn of the property all the way to the treeline.

The past month at the base had been largely an adjustment period. SHIELD had yet to contact Ciara with any missions that required her attention, and the best word she could use to describe her and Loki's time on the base was _boring._ Loki could attest to that fact. And he was vocal about it.

On the more positive side of things, Ciara had begun rebuilding her habits from the ground up. For instance: her coffee no longer contained any Bailey's.

"What's on the agenda for today, love?" Loki said.

Ciara turned and leaned against the guard rails. "Steve is coming by later. Nothing, otherwise."

"Lovely." He nodded and took a sip from his mug. "How long do you intend to stay here, exactly?"

Ciara's phone in her sweatshirt pocket vibrated, and she fished it out.

_Tomorrow, 18:00. _

The text came from an unknown number, but Ciara knew exactly who the sender was.

"Not much longer, apparently." Ciara said, frowning and slipping her phone back into her pocket. "I have to go back to California."

"You?" Loki raised his eyebrows.

"SHIELD business. You want to come for that?"

"It was my belief that you exited the SHIELD business."

Ciara shook her head and downed the rest of her mug. "Not officially."

"You did not think to share this bit of information with me?"

"No, I guess it slipped my mind. I'm sorry." Ciara placed her empty mug down and rubbed her face with both hands before she continued to speak. "You're more than welcome to come with me."

"I'll think about it." Loki said, smirking as Ciara made a face as if to say _Are you serious?_

"Well, you have until tonight to decide, I'll be leaving in the morning." She bit her lip as she grinned, snaking her way in the spot between where his arms were resting on the roof's barrier rail. "I would _really _appreciate the company." She wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and stared up at him teasingly.

"Oh, is that so?" Loki said, placing his mug down on the concrete barrier that the rail jutted from. He placed his hands on her waist and lowered his head to kiss her forehead. "I will take your potential loneliness into consideration."

"You're a tough sell." Ciara said, dropping her arms from his shoulders.

"I take pride in that."

/

Loki decided he would come with Ciara.

Once they landed and returned the jet to the hangar, Ciara made the drive back to her house with Loki in the passenger seat.

"You have not been given any information?" He asked.

"No, I told you that. It's protocol." Ciara said, turning down onto her street.

"I don't think there are enough people left in the world to bother tapping your phone, dear."

Ciara did her best to fight the smile. "Too soon Loki." She said.

"It has been nearly three years."

She snorted and shook her head as they pulled into the driveway, and exited the car. Ciara unlocked the front door, and set her keys down on the kitchen island before she headed towards the stairs. A quick glance at her watch read _5:22._

"I'm going to go get changed." She said, pausing on the first step. "You probably should too."

Loki looked down at the clothes he was wearing: a black short sleeve activewear shirt, and black jeans. "Is there something wrong with my outfit?"

"Not to me, no." She said, walking up the remainder of the stairs.

Her room was exactly as they had left it. The black duvet was perfectly unwrinkled, the hardwood pristine and clear of any mess. Most of the rooms of the house resembled the level of cleanliness that the bedroom had - as if they had not been lived in at all.

Ciara pulled off the comfortable travel clothes and exchanged them for tight black pants, and a navy windbreaker over a black shirt. As she moved into the bathroom to put on some makeup and hide the lack of sleep, she heard Loki's footsteps on the hardwood.

"In here." She said, unzipping her makeup bag and starting to apply.

"What do you need that for?" Loki stood in the door, his arms crossed. He had changed into a white dress shirt, the buttons not fully done up and the sleeves pulled back to reveal his forearms. The black pants looked freshly ironed, his short hair slicked back in the centre and short on the sides.

_Way to outdo me again. _

"Just trying to keep up appearances." Ciara answered, going over her lashes with a delicate hand before she glanced at him. "You look nice."

"How nice?" Loki asked slyly, joining her in the bathroom.

Ciara took a deep breath and shook her head. "We don't have time."

"Unfortunate." Loki said, coming up behind her and pressing his lips to the top of her head.

"Tell me about it." Ciara said. She finished and began placing the makeup then strewn across the counter back into her bag in a disorganized fashion. Loki watched from his seat on the edge of the bathtub.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Finally." Loki said, standing and following her as they made their way back downstairs. Before Ciara could reach the keys, Loki had them and was at the front door.

"Nope." Ciara shook her head as they walked out the door. "I'm driving. We need to make it there alive."

"We can make it alive _and _faster if you would allow me for once." Loki walked alongside her down the driveway, only forfeiting the keys when Ciara stood at the driver's door and looked at him expectantly.

Another glance at her watch revealed they had fifteen minutes until the start of the meeting. Ciara silently cursed herself and put the car into ignition, aggressively backing out onto the street and starting back up the hill that led to the entrance to the SHIELD bunker.

"You look beautiful, Ciara." Loki said.

"Hopefully enough to make up for being late." Ciara huffed and took a turn down a sidestreet, along a row of houses that seemed to be teeming with people and cars. "Half the people left in the world and they're all _here, now._" She grumbled, slowing down as she made her way through the crowd.

"I thought you said it was too soon for that kind of humour."

"Okay, right." Finally clearing the crowd, Ciara sped down the length of the street, taking a sharp right at its very end down a long winding driveway. "Those jokes are fine with me, but when we're inside I need you to not talk unless it's absolutely necessary, okay?"

"You have my word." Loki said.

"I'm serious Loki. That kind of stuff flew fine before but SHIELD isn't… The same, anymore. Me bringing you will probably raise enough questions."

"Don't worry Love. Best behaviour." Loki replied.

They pulled up to a black gate, the irons rising up into intricate designs with pointed tips. The terra that surrounded it was foliage for miles. Ciara let down her window and punched a long number into the keypad.

"_Identification." _A voice came through the intercom on the keypad.

"22-15-12-11-15-22." Ciara said.

"_Confirmed."_ The voice replied.

The gates before them opened and Ciara drove through as soon as the space was enough for the car to clear, following the winding driveway for another minute before they pulled up to a house at least three times the size of the one Ciara resided in. The garage door opened as soon as they drew near. But instead of a flat parking surface, a ramp began leading them underground in spirals.

"SHIELD is far more paranoid than I remember." Loki quipped, as they continued the trek down.

"This didn't belong to SHIELD originally." Ciara said. "It was the homeowner's. Conspiracy theorist, convinced the world was going to end one way or another. Had this huge bunker built underneath his house." Finally the ground leveled out, and Ciara pulled into an empty spot in a row of cars. "I guess it just didn't end how he planned."

"Yes, I suppose not." Loki said.

They exited the car and Loki followed Ciara through a set of double doors. Instead of a hallway on the other side, a massive room opened up to them. Desks cluttered with computers and printers and papers were organized in rows, nearly all of them occupied. On the far wall there was a SHIELD insignia, and another doorway beneath that. Without a word Ciara started walking through one of the rows, and Loki could feel nearly all of the eyes in the room following their every movement.

She pushed the double doors open and they were greeted by a wall of television screens, with a round table planted squarely in the centre of the room. Four people sat at it, three of which were familiar faces to Ciara. She could make out the Russian SHIELD agent from years ago from the dim light of the wall screens. The broad man seated next to the director was who she knew to be another Agent like herself - one with a similar mission record to her.

"Agent Volkov." The Russian agent said, pin-straight black hair with a sharp jaw.

"Madam Ilyin." Ciara said, folding her hands behind her back. "Director Carter."

The broad agent stood up from the table and held his hand out to Ciara as she pulled out a chair, Loki somewhat awkwardly taking up a seat next to her.

"Agent Crothers. Big fan." He said, and they shook. His hand was rough, and Ciara couldn't tell if he was smiling or grimacing through his thick brunette beard. She could see ink from a tattoo creeping up the neckline of his shirt and out from his sleeves.

"Volkov, likewise." Ciara replied.

The other man in the room did not introduce himself or stand up. Instead he watched Loki through narrowed eyes.

"You've been called in, in regards to a group that was heard word of in September of last year." The director said. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and the wall of screens lit up her face as she stood to speak. "They call themselves _Nemesis_, and all intel points to the suspicion that they are a reassembled branch of Hydra. "

"What's with Hydra and the Greek mythology names?" Agent Crothers said, leaning back in his chair and looking on with an unimpressed expression.

The director ignored the comment, and hit a button on the remote in her hand.

The pictures on the screens became one cohesive piece, and on them first person camera footage played, the clips rolling one after the other as each and every camera operator was decommissioned in flashes of gunfire.

When it seemed like new clips would keep on playing and playing, the Director pointed the remote at the screen and hit another button that paused the scene. The camera zoomed in on a pixelated face, and with another press of a button the face became clear as day.

Ciara felt her breath catch in her throat and her eyes narrowed as she worked to maintain her composure.

_No way. _

"We have reason to believe this man is their leader. Based on what we got off comms, he goes by the name Cradle." The director said, crossing her arms. "So far, every team we've sent to his known locations - recon or otherwise - have been marked MIA."

_You mean dead. _Ciara thought.

"Why is it the first time I'm hearing about this?" Ciara finally said, unable to withstand her urge to speak.

"Until now, Nemesis wasn't so much a threat as a name on a list." The Director replied.

"Respectfully Director, you ran SHIELD counterterrorism before this. You're saying every name on that list isn't considered a threat?" Ciara said.

The directory was unmoving. "We don't exactly have the manpower or resources to immediately respond to every single thing that comes up on our radar, Agent Volkov." She said.

"Volkov's right." Crothers said, leaning forward and propping his elbows on the table. "Why are you just telling us this now?"

_You look like you've seen a ghost. _Loki's voice intruded on Ciara's thoughts, and she flinched before shooting him a sidelong glare.

"Up until now, your missions - Agents Volkov and Crothers - have been those with the highest success rate seen since the incident." The Director said. "We weren't about to risk two of SHIELD's most valuable assets on speculation. Until three days ago, Nemesis had been just that: speculation." She unfolded her arms and pointed the remote at the screens.

Immediately the scene changed to an aerial view, like something that was (and in fact, was) filmed by a drone. On the ground below a firefight appeared to be ensuing between two parties. They stood on what Ciara could make out to be some kind of tarmac, with adjoined buildings as well as a couple of separate ones.

"This is Edwards Air Force Base. Until three days ago, it was operated under U.N. control. When Nemesis showed up, they didn't even stand a chance." The director flipped back to the previous screen, and once again the familiar face was in Ciara's plain view. "You two have been brought in because we need to take it back. Not only is Nemesis far larger than initial intel suggested, but they now have control of enough firepower to arm a city."

_This isn't real. _

"Commander Lin and Commander Ilyin will brief you back here in two hours. Until then - rest, eat, do whatever it is you need to do, and suit up." The director barely even paused before she spoke again, her eyes moving to look directly at Loki. "That includes you." She set the remote back down on the table. "Dismissed."

Ciara did not move from her seat as the others exited the room, and Loki remained with her. The double doors shut behind them, leaving Ciara and Loki seated around the table alone.

"Ciara, are you alright?" Loki asked, speaking to her back, as she had yet to look away from the screen. Her elbows rested on the table and each hand gripped the opposite bicep. When she did not answer him immediately, he added more quietly. "Do you know that man?"

Ciara nodded slowly, clasping her hands and resting them against her mouth.

_It's him. I know him, and I know why they call him Cradle. _

"Yeah, I did." She said, rubbing her mouth with one hand before she leaned back in her chair and continued.

"That's my brother."


End file.
